Controlling my own local network...

Controlling my own local network...

So I have TWC's internet service, and they installed a Ubee DVW32CB wireless gateway in my home which serves as both my modem and wireless router. While this device works just fine, I already own my own Asus RC-AC66R wireless router which I manage and maintain myself.

I called TWC and asked is I could lease just a modem instead of a router, and was told that because I have phone service through TWC, they will not install a modem because it would not provide a Telephone port for my phone. While I'd love to save money leasing a modem instead of a router, I'm content to keep the Ubee for now.

But I still want to run all my devices off my Asus router.

I've been told I could set up the Ubee for "bridge mode", which will send my WAN IP from TWC directly to a port that I can use to connect my Asus router to the Ubee, and also shut off the Wifi radio on the Ubee.

I do think though that if you have phone service, bridging may cause a problem with your phones I believe the solution is to get a separate phone modem from TWC and split the cable connection so that one connection goes into the Ubee Iwhich when in Bridge mode is now just acting as a "dumb" cable modem to which you connect your router) and to connect the other end of the split to the phone modem. I'm told TWC supplies these if you know what to ask for.

BTW, if you haven't yet done so, be sure to visit Smallnetbuilder.com and look into upgrading your stock AC66R firmware with a newer version of Merlin's Asus-WRT firmware. Your AC66 will thank you for it. Keep in mind that the newest versions of Asus firmware will lock down your device so that you can't change region codes, so if you're at all concerned, use only the versions of both Asus and Merlin prior to the most current 380.xx versions (there is a method to go back to the older firmware once you've locked down the device region, but it's cumbersome and I find, for example, that the 375.XX version works best in my setting and is still very secure).

I'm pretty familiar with the RT-AC66's, as I'm sure you are too, but if you don't know, you really don't have to do anything to the Ubee at all in order to continue using your AC66 as a router for your devices if you don't mind a slight loss in throughput and speed, since you can set up the AC66 to be used as a "Repeater" and this will still allow you to manage your own devices through the AC66 without having to really do anything to the Ubee's settings. Of course, if you can run an ethernet cable between the Ubee and the AC66, you can also run it as an Access Point (AP) and not lose any throughput or bandwidth speed at all.

I have an Asus RT AC3200 that I use as my main router connected to an Arris SB6183 cable modem (to which no phone is connected...;phones are run separately through another cable connection). I also run two AC66U's (same as the 66R, just different letters....the "R" indicates it was sold by Best Buy, otherwise though its identical to the 66U and the rare 66W-- which is "white"). I connect one of my AC66U's wirelessly to one of the 5ghz channels on the AC3200 and the AC66 is set up as in "Repeater" mode, which allows me to use the LAN ports on the AC66 to connect devices and it also "repeats" one of the 5ghz channels from the AC3200 so that it extend my wireless coverage to the rear portion of my home and backyard. The second AC66 is set in Media Bridge mode, which allows me to hang a number of devices (e.g., an HTPC, and various other streaming devices, Roku, Amazon Fire, etc.) off the LAN ports, but Media Bridge Mode also disables the wifi, so no other wifi clients can connect to it (this also keeps the bandwidth from being cut roughly in half which occurs with Repeater mode).

I love the AC66's, because they have great range, are just solid and have never given me any trouble. Before I bought the AC3200, I used one of them as my primary router and the other as a repeater, and they are just terrific.

On the other hand, you could give what Ms. Raye suggests a try (i.e., put the Ubee in bridge mode, and trun off its DHCP server and it's wifi radios, essentially just using it as a modem) and let your AC66R handle all the routing, firewalling, and wifi.....but I suspect that since you have phones also, that's gonna cause some problems. If it does, and you have another cable coax outlet that can be split such that you can connect a TWC phone modem, you might want to consider that as an option.